


Her Name

by thegizka



Category: Sword Art Online (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-04
Updated: 2019-08-04
Packaged: 2020-07-30 22:02:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20104312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thegizka/pseuds/thegizka
Summary: Kirito works part-time at the Dicey Cafe to help cover the costs of attending college and gaming.  He's usually good at remembering repeat customers, but for some reason, he can't seem to get this girl's name.Written for Writer's Month 2019 Day 3:  Coffee Shop AU.Note:  I do not own any aspect of Sword Art Online.





	Her Name

The first time he met her, she ordered a flat white. It was an annoying drink to make. Getting the right texture of the milk was tricky, but she had a cute smile, and when she thanked him, he felt like she meant it. She took her drink and left the cafe and his thoughts. He hadn’t bothered to ask for her name.

\------

The next time he met her, she ordered a London Fog. It was late. He had been counting down the last half hour before close, debating whether to sneak in a few hours of sleep or power through his programming project and hope for the best. When she slipped into the quiet cafe, bulging school bag slung over one shoulder, she had that desperate look in her fatigued brown eyes that meant she was also firmly entrenched in the finals slog.

“Late night?” he asked as he began steaming her milk.

“Psychology paper,” she admitted, smiling tiredly. “I figured I’d need some caffeine to get me to the end of it.”

“And you’re going with tea? A few shots of espresso would be more effective.”

She chuckled. It was a refreshing sound.

“I only need fuel for a few hours. I do plan on sleeping at some point tonight.”

“Well good luck with the paper,” he said, firmly fitting a lid onto her to-go cup.

“Thanks Kirito.” She gave him a smile as she left. It threw him off a little to hear her say his name. She must have picked it up from his nametag.

When he trudged into his room that night, he remembered he’d left his nametag on his desk, but he was already resignedly thinking of that programming project and didn’t have the mental capacity to wonder how she’d known his name.

\-----

The third time he met her, the next semester was well underway. It was a slow Tuesday afternoon, and Kirito was hoping he’d get to go home early when she entered with a whirl of energy in the form of a short, purple-haired girl. They both carried a few shopping bags and were chatting as though enjoying a day free of homework and worries.

“Okay Yuuki, pick whatever you want. I’ll treat.”

“You mean it?” The purple-haired girl’s eyes lit up. “Even if I pick one of everything?”

This led to another round of giggles. Kirito prayed she was joking.

Yuuki ordered a chocolatey frappuccino with whipped cream, chocolate drizzle, and extra chocolate blended into it. Her friend ordered an iced macchiato. They were too busy chatting together for Kirito to have a chance to ask her name. When they left, it felt like they took all of the energy with them.

\------

The fourth time he met her, she came in during a rush. As the weather warmed, the Dicey Cafe had gotten busier. They were also running a buy-one-get-one special for their more popular iced espresso drinks, which had really drummed up business amongst the college crowd.

Kirito barely had enough time to look up and register she was there between making drinks. His coworker Klein was manning the register while he fulfilled the orders, so he didn’t get the chance to ask her name and write it on her cup. He was working through the line of drinks so quickly that by the time he’d called a name with a finished order, he’d already be looking at the next one. So he didn’t notice when it was finally her turn or when she picked up her iced cinnamon latte, and by the time he glanced up and saw her leaving, he had already made a handful of other drinks, had called a handful of other names, and could not remember what hers had been.

\-----

The fifth time he met her, he didn’t know it was her. He had been playing  _ Sword Art Online _ , a new VRMMORPG that was taking up the majority of his free time. He usually preferred grinding levels and advancing skills on his own, and he’d be lying if he said his reputation as the mysterious Black Swordsman didn’t make him a little proud. But periodically he’d take time to explore the open world and enjoy the game design amongst the more mundane tasks like shopping and eating.

He was studying the menu at a tavern in a small town in one of the upper levels when she entered wearing a simple brown cloak. She took a seat at a table in a far corner and ordered hot tea, settling in as though waiting for someone. Kirito barely gave her a glance. It was a bit unusual that she kept her cloak on and hood up, but towns were safe spaces, so whatever shady behavior she might be engaged in couldn’t affect him much.

By the time his food arrived, two men in similar brown cloaks had joined her, ordering their own drinks. They discussed something in low voices. A few papers were pulled out and consulted. It was obvious they were trying to plan something, even though they were attempting to be discreet.

They got up to leave while he was debating what to try for dessert. Eating virtual food was a strange sensation. His nerve impulses indicated taste, texture, and a sense of being full, but as soon as he logged off, he knew he’d be hungry after playing nonstop for several hours. It was an amazing development in virtual reality, but he wondered about potential long-term effects of such sensory stimulation. He’d have to ask his programming professors how much research had been done about it.

She lingered behind her companions a moment, talking to the server. He thought he felt her eyes on him, but when he looked up she was pushing through the door. Kirito caught a glimpse of a white and red uniform and brown hair. Something familiar tugged at his memory, but he couldn’t identify what it was.

When the server stopped at his table, Kirito was ready to order, but paused when a plate of tiramisu was set in front of him.

“The Lightning Flash sends her regards,” the server said with a smile, depositing a neatly folded piece of paper on his napkin before turning away. Confused and a little suspicious, Kirito carefully picked it up and read the note.

_ It’s the closest thing I’ve found to the delicious espresso from the Dicey Cafe. You’ll have to let me know if you agree next time I stop by. ~Asuna _

_ Asuna… _ The name sounded a little familiar, but he couldn’t connect it to a face. Obviously it was someone who knew him in the real world. How else would she know where he worked?

Honestly, he knew more about the Lightning Flash than her real identity. She was as notorious as he was, skilled with a rapier and known for incredibly fast multi-hit combos. He hadn’t seen her in action--he hadn’t been sure she was even a girl until a moment ago--but he respected the abilities she must have to earn such a reputation. It made him doubly curious to figure out who she was.

When he knew, he’d have to tell her that the tiramisu was, in fact, delicious.

\-----

The sixth time he met her, it was a few days before the end of the semester. Several students had already moved back home for the summer. Kirito had plans to continue working at the Dicey Cafe since he was living with his aunt and cousin Suguha only short bus ride away. It would be good to earn some extra pocket cash without having to balance work with school. He had his eye on a new VRMMORPG,  _ Alfheim Online _ , which would be released in a month and a half, and he wanted to upgrade his dive system.

She ordered an iced white mocha with an extra shot.

“So?” she asked expectantly before he could request her name to write on her cup.

“So...what?”

“The tiramisu. What did you think?”

Kirito’s brain momentarily short-circuited as the pieces fell into place.

“Asuna?”

“Yes?” she asked, a little confused.

“You’re the Lightning Flash?’

“Surprised?” She grinned.

“Maybe a little,” he chuckled nervously. She looked more like the preppy rich type, not a gamer. The amount of time she must spend playing to reach her skill level was disproportionate to his impression of her.

“Well I suspected you were the Black Swordsman from the start,” she declared proudly, sticking a straw through the lid of her drink. “There’s something about your loner attitude that seemed just right.”

“What?” He was at a loss for words. He wasn’t sure Klein even knew his in-game persona. How had she figured it out? And what did she mean by “loner attitude”?

“We should team up sometime. I’ve been thinking of leaving my guild. There are too many rules and strategy meetings, though it is convenient to have a lot of allies for these upper level dungeons. I wouldn’t mind doing more side-quests and challenges, though. That’s how you learned to dual-wield, right?”

“You sure know a lot about my gameplay.”

“I guess you could say I’m a fan of sorts.”

Was he imagining a slight blush on her cheeks? He must be. It seemed too unlikely to be real.

“You’d better accept my party request when I send it,” she declared as she turned to go. “Otherwise I’ll challenge you to a match and beat you for standing me up.”

“What? That seems a bit extreme.”

She flashed him a dangerous smile, and for a moment he saw a cunning and confidence befitting her in-game reputation.

“See you later Kirito.”

“Yeah, bye Asuna.”

  
_ Asuna… _ Finally, he knew her name.


End file.
